רָתַק (b. h.; cmp. רָתַךְ) to join; (denom. מרתק, v. מַרְתּוֹקָא; knuckles, fist, whence:) רָתַק (cmp. סָטַר) to strike with the knuckles. Tosef. Zab. IV, 1 רוֹתְקוֹ ed. Zuck. (ed. התקו, corr. acc.) if he knuckles him, contrad. to תָּקַע.
    Hif. - הִרְתִּיק 1) to knock. Y. Ber. I, 2ᵈ bot. בא וה׳ על פתחו וכ׳ (not והרחיק) came and knocked at the king’s door. Ex. R. s. 33 (ref. to Cant. V, 2) אני ישנה … והקב"ה מַרְתִּיק עליו (not עלי) ‘I (Israel) was asleep’ after making the golden calf, but ‘my heart awoke’, when the Lord knocked at it, … ‘open unto me &c.’ Ex. R. s. 27 כשנגלה … שלא ה׳ עליה when the Lord revealed himself at Mount Sinai, there was not a nation at whose doors he did not knock, but they declined &c. Pesik. Aḥăré, p. 176ᵃ שאם יַרְתִּיק וכ׳ Ar. (ed. יְרַתֵּק Pi.) if he knocks, they will open for him (if he studies, he will enter into the interior of learning), if for Talmud &c.; Lev. R. s. 21 ירתק; a. e.—2) (with אחר) to shake the fist at, to rebel. Gen. R. s. 45 כל מי שה׳ אחר מדת הדין וכ׳ whosoever rebelled against divine justice, did not come out unscathed from under its hands.
    Pi. - רִתֵּק to knock, v. supra.
    Nif. - נִרְתָּק to be joined, welded. Cant. R. to IV, 4 (expl. מתאימות, ib.) אלו שתי … כמין שתים נִרְתָּקוֹת (not נרתיקות) this refers to the two cord-like chains of gold which came forth from the breast-plate, and which appeared like two welded together.